Voting in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s high-stakes presidential election has been marred by lengthy delays at polling stations.
Voters waited in long queues at many polling stations in the capital, Kinshasa, and other cities as they opened about two hours late.
Ballot papers were delivered at the last minute in an election that has proved to be a logistical nightmare.
President Félix Tshisekedi is pitted against 18 candidates.
DR Congo is roughly four times the size of France, but lacks basic infrastructure – even some of its main cities are not linked by road.
The UN, Egypt and neighbouring Congo-Brazzaville helped fly election material to remote areas.
Some 44 million people are registered to vote, following a campaign dominated by worsening insecurity in the mineral-rich east.
In the north-eastern town of Bunia, people who had previously fled the violence and couldn’t travel back to their home villages to vote expressed their anger by attacking a polling station and destroying voting machines before police restored order.
DR Congo sits on vast reserves of cobalt, currently a vital part of many lithium batteries, seen as essential to a future free of fossil fuels.
Among those challenging President Tshisekedi are wealthy mining magnate Moïse Katumbi and former oil executive Martin Fayulu, who believes that he won the last election in 2018, the result of which was questioned by several international observers.
But the peaceful transfer of power, the first in the country’s history, following that poll became a source of optimism that the country had turned a corner.
For the first time, Congolese nationals living in five other countries – including South Africa and former colonial power Belgium – will be able to cast their ballots.
As before, the winner will be the candidate with the most votes. The large number of challengers to Mr Tshisekedi could work to his advantage, as it may divide opposition support.
Voters are also choosing parliamentary, provincial and municipal representatives – with about 100,000 candidates in total – in this huge country, which stretches some 2,000km (1,400 miles) west to east.
There are more than 175,000 polling booths. The electoral commission, with the help of UN peacekeepers, began delivering voting material in far-flung areas about two months ago because of the poor transport network.
In the east, insecurity has dominated the run-up to the polls.
Dozens of armed groups have been competing to control parts of the region, home to much of the country’s vast mineral wealth.
Voting suspended
The presence of a UN peacekeeping force, an East African regional force and Congolese soldiers has not quelled the violence, which has resulted in about seven million people being forced from their homes. Many of those have not been able to register to vote, in what some criticised as a chaotic registration process.
There are some places where voting will not take place at all because of rebel activity.
The perennial insecurity in the eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu has been a major campaign issue, with presidential candidates making lofty promises to end it.
Political violence in the run-up to the polls has also been a source of concern.
On the eve of the vote, the European Union said it was worried about “the hate speech, violence and incidents that have marked the last few days”. There have been some deadly incidents, causing Mr Katumbi to briefly suspend his campaign.
Polls opened at 06:00 local time (04:00 GMT in Goma; 05:00 GMT in Kinshasa) and voting is due to continue for 11 hours. The electoral commission is expected to announce provisional results on 31 December.
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